Chained
by Doomflower84
Summary: Big Owl goes down over Halshinne and the twins are forced to trek to the nearest human settlement for supplies...only they have a condition on allowing a deimos into their territory... contains some mild violence.
1. Chapter 1

Authors Notes: This fic is based on a very amusing picture my fiance drew for me...it was too funny not to write something to go with it!

Disclaimer: I do not own the boys. I make no profit from this.

************

Darc rose from his seated position as he finally spotted his brother making his way towards him. He was hungry, tired and aching after the disastrous events of the day and just wanted to get some rest. The two of them had been making their way back towards Ragnoth when Big Owl's engine had malfunctioned, proving Darc's initial suspicions that the ominous-looking human machine was not to be trusted. They had been forced to perform an emergency crash landing on the continent of Halshinne, the crippled aircraft coming to a bone-jarring halt in the middle of Kanara Desert.

Not only had both twins been thrown from their feet, crashing painfully into the airship's machinery, but they had then been left with no choice but to trek for hours across the desert and into the Democratic Republic of Dilzweld with limited supplies in order to reach the main city, the only place they were likely to find the materials needed to make the repairs to their damaged ship.

Once outside the city walls, Kharg had suggested he go and ascertain whether it was safe for Darc to enter. While human-deimos relationships were slowly improving following the defeat of the Lord of the Black Abyss, there were of course some places that were more resistant to change; the newly formed Democratic Republic of Dilzweld being one of them. Darc had been waiting for his brother's return for over an hour and was beginning to get restless when Kharg had finally reappeared.

'What took you so long?' Darc grumbled as his twin came to a stop in front of him.

'There were...a few problems,' Kharg replied, biting his lip.

'What kind of problems?' Darc asked suspiciously, picking up on the decidedly apologetic air that surrounded his twin.

'Well...they weren't too keen on the idea of letting a deimos into their city, but I did manage to convince them it would be ok. So long as we abide by certain...conditions.'

'Conditions?' Darc raised one eyebrow.

'Yeah,' Kharg replied as he pulled his right hand from behind his back and held out a length of chain with what looked to be a collar attached.

'What's that for?' Darc questioned, confused.

'They said you could come in...providing I keep you on a leash at all times. You need to put this on.'

'You want me...to do..._what_?' Darc spoke dangerously slowly though gritted teeth, having to exert enormous will power in order to control his temper. The turbulent expression on his face must have alerted Kharg to this fact, as Darc noticed the blond tense his muscles in preparation to defend himself.

'Look, they're not going to let you in otherwise and you don't want to stay out here all night do you?' The lighter twin took a tentative step towards his brother, the offending article trailing from his right hand.

'Come any closer to me with that thing and I'll smash your haughty face in!' Darc spat, his deep red eyes glittering menacingly with anger.

'Just calm down, I'm not going to do anything unless you let me,' Kharg soothed, 'but seriously, what do you propose to do if you don't come inside? It's taken us the best part of a day to get here, and we need materials if we're going to get the airship fixed up. Besides, I'm tired and I'm hungry. I'm going in no matter what you decide.'

'I'll go back to the airship and wait for you,' Darc replied, a hint of uncertainty colouring his voice.

'You'd rather walk six hours back to Big Owl, attempting to find your way through Kanara Desert alone, than put this on for just as long as it takes to get the airship parts and some rest?' Kharg questioned incredulously.

'Yes,' Darc growled, scowling.

'It'll be dark soon, and it gets really cold in the desert at night. You'll freeze. Besides, you need to rest as much as I do,' Kharg continued persistently.

'Just shut the hell up! I'm not doing it and that's final, don't you dare mention it again! I'll take my chances with the desert. Besides, deimos are studier than you pathetic humans, I won't feel the cold,' the half-Drakyr insisted, sounding more as though he was trying to convince himself of the latter part of his statement than trying to convince his brother.

'Fine,' the blond twin sighed, bringing his hand up to cover his face in exasperation, 'you do what you want. I'm going into the city.'

As Kharg turned away from him and took a step back in the direction of the gates, Darc let himself relax. Although he felt somewhat apprehensive about finding his way back through the desert to where their airship had crashed, anything seemed preferable compared with allowing himself to be degraded and treated like an animal. He'd had enough of that to last a lifetime and secretly felt more than a little hurt that his brother would even suggest it, even though he knew Kharg had no way of knowing it wouldn't be the first time he had been made to wear a collar.

His guard effectively lowered, Darc was taken completely by surprise when his brother's fist connected sharply with his temple, snapping his head back and causing him to stumble. Before he had time to recover from the unexpected attack, Kharg shoved him hard in the chest, sending him sprawling across the ground. He was still trying to work out exactly what had happened when the blond straddled him, his arms becoming pinned beneath his brother's knees, ensuring he was completely incapacitated.

'Get off me!' the furious half-deimos shouted, his ears still ringing from the force of the blow.

'Sorry Darc, but I'm not going to let you go wandering around in the desert on your own at night. You're exhausted and still pretty beaten up from the crash. I'm doing this for your own good,' Kharg intoned as he fastened the collar around his brother's neck and locked it in place.

'Like hell you are! You're enjoying this!' Darc spat, a slight note of panic entering his voice as the blond pocketed the key to the collar, ensuring that his twin would not be able to remove it.

'Don't be ridiculous. Now, we're going into the city and you're not going to cause any more fuss, is that clear?' Kharg spoke firmly, giving his brother a meaningful glare.

'It's not as though you've left me much choice, is it,' the darker twin growled, his voice taking on a decidedly petulant tone.

'Stop sulking,' Kharg sighed as he slowly pulled himself to his feet and held his hand out to his brother.

'Hmm!' Darc grunted, ignoring Kharg's offer of help as he stood up, attempting to overcome the dizziness the blow to his head had caused.

'It actually quite suits you,' the blond smirked as he wrapped the end of the leash around his hand.

'I knew you were enjoying this,' Darc threw his brother a reproachful glare.

'Come on, let's get this over with,' Kharg ignored him 'oh, and one more thing before we go inside. They were still really sceptical about letting you in, even after they gave me this, so I kinda told them you were...obedient. So can you at least try to do as you're told? Things are likely to turn nasty if you give them any reason to think you might be hostile.'

'I hate you,' Darc growled through gritted teeth, deciding then and there that there was no way he would let his brother get away with this. He would get his own back no matter how long it took.

'I'm sure you do,' the blond smiled indulgently before tugging softly on the leash, 'let's get going. I'm starving.'

Hunching his shoulders angrily and folding his arms across his chest, Darc resignedly followed his brother towards the city gates.

******

Darc felt his face flush with heat under the scrutiny of the people of Dilzweld as Kharg lead him through the city streets. He turned his eyes to the ground in order to avoid their stares, but was certain they were still watching him.

'It's getting late, so there's no chance of us finding the airship parts tonight. We may as well head straight over to the nearest Inn,' Kharg spoke over his shoulder, seemingly oblivious to his brother's discomfort.

'Don't talk to me,' Darc spat, his voice laced with venom.

'I thought we agreed that you're going to act like you're obedient to me,' Kharg chided him

'I didn't _agree_ to any of this, remember?' the darker twin grunted.

'Just do it, ok?' Kharg sighed.

'Fine, but don't think I'm going to just forget about this,' Darc replied as they approached the Inn.

Kharg had evidently decided to ignore his brother's last comment as he made no response, pushing the door to the Inn open instead and leading Darc inside.

'I'm Lord Kharg Nidellia, I've had some trouble with my airship and will be needing a room for the night,' Kharg stated as he approached the woman behind the bar, Darc keeping a short distance behind him.

'We heard about you're arrival, we've been expecting you' the woman replied, peering over his shoulder in a clear attempt to get a look at the half-Drakyr.

'Great, then I'll take a room. We'll be needing food too,' Kharg smiled.

'No problem. What do you want to do with _that_?' the woman motioned towards Darc, 'does it sleep in the room with you or outside?'

Darc growled low in his throat, only to be rewarded with a sharp jerk on the leash and an angry glance from Kharg.

'He'll stay with me,' the blond replied.

'As you wish. If you take a seat someone will bring your food over,' the woman said as she handed over a key to one of the rooms, 'I suppose you'll be wanting food for _that_ as well?'

'Of course,' Kharg intoned.

'Fine. Just make sure it doesn't bother anyone and keeps off the furniture.'

Darc allowed Kharg to lead him to a table in the far corner of the room, his face burning with humiliation.

'This is the worst thing you've ever done to me,' the half-Drakyr muttered as he sat on the floor beside Kharg's feet.

'That's hardly fair, this wasn't my idea,' the blond replied, absently ruffling his brother's hair.

'If you ever do that to me again, I swear I'll break your arm!' Darc jerked his head away and caught the blond's wrist in his clawed hand.

'Obedient, remember?' Kharg smirked, pulling his wrist free.

Sighing heavily, Darc folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes, desperately trying to pretend he was somewhere else.

******

Darc was relieved when they had both eaten and Kharg finally lead him upstairs away from the inquisitive looks he had been receiving all evening from the other customers. He had begun to suspect that Kharg was taking twice as long as usual to finish his food just to spite him.

'Hmm, we seem to have a bit of a problem here,' the blond twin muttered as he unlocked the door to their room and stepped inside.

Following a short distance behind him, Darc scanned the room and took in the fact that there was just one bed and it was clearly only big enough for one person to sleep in.

'Stupid human invention anyway,' Darc grunted, beyond caring 'I'll sleep on the floor.'

'Yeah, I think that's what they expected you to do,' Kharg collapsed backwards onto the bed.

'So are you going to take this off now?' Darc pulled at the collar around his neck with a look of disgust painted across his face.

'Don't be ridiculous,' Kharg replied, not even glancing up, 'As if you'd ever let me put it back on once it was off. Besides, they said I should keep you on a leash _at all times_.'

'Fine!' Darc huffed, 'I'm going to sleep. The sooner tomorrow comes the sooner we can get out of here.'

'Hmm, I just thought of something,' Kharg sat up and threw his brother a suspicious glance, 'you wait here, I'll be back in a moment.'

Darc ignored the lighter twin as he got up and disappeared from the room. He slumped down onto the floor, exhausted from their long trek through the desert. His body ached from the impact of the crash, his head still pounded from his brother's blow and he was thoroughly fed up with the way Kharg was treating him. He was just beginning to formulate a plan of revenge to be exacted when his brother least suspected it when the blond walked back into the room. Darc watched with unguarded irritation as Kharg approached him and picked up the end of the leash.

'What are you doing now?' the half-deimos demanded.

'I'm not risking you trying to steal the key from me in the night and getting us into trouble,' Kharg answered as he wrapped the leash around the leg of the bed until it was short enough that Darc could sit up, but not stand, before snapping on the padlock he must have asked for downstairs.

'Have you any idea how much I despise you?' Darc muttered, casting his large, reproachful eyes in Kharg's direction.

'I'm sure you'll get over it,' the blond smiled pleasantly before collapsing onto the bed and turning out the light.

******

The following day seemed to drag on forever as Kharg went about collecting the required airship materials and sufficient supplies to sustain them on their return journey through the desert, Darc being denied entrance to any of the stores and having to be chained up outside. He had grown increasingly despondent throughout the day, not even bothering to complain when Kharg left him outside after the first few stores had refused to let him in.

'Right, I think this should be the last place we need to visit before we can get out of here,' the blond said at last as he approached the final store he had been directed to.

'Hmm,' Darc grunted as he sat cross-legged on the ground, watching detachedly whilst his brother wrapped the leash around a post beside the door and locked it in place.

'Cheer up, we'll be on our way back soon,' Kharg smiled, patting his brother affectionately on the head. It was an indication of just how dejected the half-deimos was feeling that he simply allowed his twin to do it without even the slightest hint of irritation, never mind the insults and threats that such an action would usually elicit from him.

Darc closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his chest, attempting to block out the open stares the residence of the city were still giving him as Kharg disappeared into the store. He found some consolation in the fact that, while they watched him intently and whispered about him among themselves, none of them had actually attempted to approach him. This had been his initial concern when Kharg had insisted on chaining him up outside as he was unsure whether he could control his temper if anyone came too close to him without his brother around to intervene.

It was only a short while before Kharg returned this time, having finally collected everything they needed. He was stooping over to remove the padlock and blocking Darc's immediate view of the street when the darker twin became aware of the sound of giggling coming from behind his brother. Kharg evidently noticed it too as he stood up abruptly and turned around, revealing the small group of children standing nervously behind him.

'Hi,' Kharg greeted them, 'did you want something?'

The giggling broke out again as the children pushed one of their number forward, the boy evidently having being chosen to speak on their behalf.

'We were wondering,' the boy began, his eyes straying somewhat nervously in Darc's direction, 'If we could stroke your deimos?'

The darker twin's head snapped up abruptly at the words and Kharg burst out laughing. Darc growled fiercely in the children's general direction, causing them to break into a new fit of giggles as they backed off slightly at the half-deimos' sign of aggression.

'Behave yourself, Darc,' Kharg grinned before returning his attention to the children, 'of course you can stroke him.'

Darc gritted his teeth and tensed his muscles in anger as the children descended on him, his head filling with an array of evil things he would love to inflict on his brother as they ran their hands over his hair, horns and the scales on his face.

'Ok ok, that's enough,' Kharg laughed at length, taking the end of the leash in his hand as the children reluctantly moved away.

'Thank you, I wish I had a pet deimos like that one!' the elected speaker chimed up before the giggling band disappeared from sight.

Darc didn't say another word as Kharg proceeded to lead them out of the city, struggling to keep his fury in check. It wasn't until they were some way beyond the city gates that he finally trusted himself to speak.

'How could you humiliate me like that? I am _not_ your pet! Take this thing off immediately!' he spat, eyes blazing.

'Oh, come on, it was funny,' Kharg grinned, 'you should have seen your face!'

'Get...this...thing...off me!' Darc growled menacingly, balling his hands into fists.

'Oh I don't know,' Kharg teased, 'I was thinking we could keep it on. I rather liked seeing you so quiet and obedient. You were really quite good at it.'

Without warning, Darc hurled himself at his brother, sending them both crashing forcefully to the ground. Rolling over so that Kharg was pinned beneath him, the darker twin smashed his fist into the blond's face, splitting his lip.

Managing to pull one arm from beneath the furious half-Drakyr, Kharg wrapped his hand around the leash still attached to Darc's neck and pulled it fiercely downwards, forcing his brother face-down onto the ground. Seizing the opportunity, the blond placed his knee firmly on his brother's back, pulling Darc's arms up sharply behind him and causing him to cry out in pain.

'Are you going to calm down?' Kharg spoke with difficulty, the right side of his face already beginning to swell from the ferocity of his brother's blow.

'Just get off me!' the darker twin's shout was muffled by the fact that his face was still pressed against the ground.

'When you tell me you're going to calm down,' the blond replied firmly.

Darc didn't answer for some time, his breath coming in short sharp gasps as he attempted to regain control of his temper. Slowly, his breathing began to regulate and the anger-driven tension in his muscles drained away.

'I'm calm, just let me up,' he muttered at length, sounding suitably subdued.

'Good,' Kharg stood before taking hold of his brother's arm and pulling him to his feet, 'you ok?'

'I will be just as soon as you remove this thing from around my neck,' the darker twin replied petulantly, glaring at the blond man.

'Sure,' Kharg answered, beginning to feel in his pockets for the key. His expression flickered quickly from puzzlement to realisation as his brother watched him carefully.

'What is it?' Darc asked, suddenly sure he knew what the answer was going to be.

'I think the key must have fallen out of my pocket when you knocked me down,' the lighter twin shrugged apologetically.

'That's just great!' The half-deimos snarled, 'what the hell am I supposed to do now?'

'Well there's no point standing around and shouting about it,' Kharg sighed, 'come on, we'd better start looking for it.'

Both twins cast their eyes downwards to take in the dusty, rubble-strewn ground around them, realising that recovering the key was going to be no easy task.

******

'Sorry Darc, but we're gonna have to get going unless you want to spend another night in the city,' Kharg broke the silence they had been labouring under and rose to his feet.

The darker twin stayed where he was, scowling down at the ground in frustration. Sighing heavily in exasperation, Kharg retrieved the end of the leash and gave it a soft tug.

'Come on,' the blond intoned, pulling a bit harder until Darc reluctantly got to his feet, 'we'll figure out how to get this off once we're back in Yewbell.'

The half-deimos stayed resolutely silent as his brother began to lead him back in the direction of Kanara Desert, too despondent to insist that the lighter twin let go of the leash.

'You know, I could get used to this,' Kharg tossed Darc a sly grin over his shoulder, giving the chain a sharp tug which caused his brother to stumble, 'you're much better behaved when you're wearing that.'

Darc glared furiously at his brother's back, promising himself that he would think up something truly diabolical in revenge for what the blond had put him through over the last two days. It was a long way back to the airship; he would have plenty of time.


	2. Return to Yewbell

This was originally going to be a oneshot but I know that both Elfwench and Chaos wanted to see more of it so...here it is.

Disclaimer: Sadly, none of the characters belong to me. I make no profit from this

* * *

As the vast expanse of darkening sky outside Big Owl's windows finally gave out onto the rolling fields and woodlands of Nidellia, Darc gave a sigh of relief. The journey from Halshinne to Ragnoth had seemed to drag on for eternity but now, as the airship began its descent and the town of Yewbell grew ever closer, the half-Drakyr felt he could begin to relax. He was eager to be rid of the collar that was still fastened securely around his neck and the closer he got to Yewbell, the closer he came to finding a way to remove it.

'Ok, another few minutes and we'll be there. You should prepare for landing,' Kharg intoned as he moved to stand beside his brother.

'Hmm,' Darc grunted, turning away from him. He had spent the duration of the flight in stony silence, still furious with his blond counterpart for the humiliation he had put him through in the Democratic Republic of Dilzweld.

'You can't still be sulking,' Kharg sighed, 'it wasn't my fault we lost the key. If you'd just managed to control your temper I could have taken the collar off hours ago.'

The darker twin growled low in his throat, crimson eyes flashing dangerously as he glared at the former prince.

'Fine,' the blond shrugged, moving away, 'but you know you're gonna have to give in and talk to me some time.'

Resolutely ignoring his brother's comments, the half-deimos turned back towards the windows and watched impassively as the ground seemed to rush up to greet them. Both twins braced themselves as the ship came in to land, bringing them down in a field on the outskirts of town.

'Right,' Kharg asserted as he moved to exit the stationary aircraft, the darker twin following close behind him, 'let's get going. We'll reach Yewbell in less than an hour if we move quickly.'

'What do you mean, in less than an hour?' Darc spat, reluctantly breaking his stubborn silence for the first time since they left Dilzweld, 'that would take us to Yewbell's main entrance. We're taking the route through Chaos Forest, that way we can head straight to the house. I'm not walking all the way across town with this thing around my neck!'

'Do you always have to be so difficult?' Kharg bought his hand up to cover his face in a gesture of exasperation, 'we're not walking miles out of our way for the sake of your pride. Besides, the sooner we get to Yewbell the sooner you can take the collar off. That's what you want, isn't it?'

'You're doing this to humiliate me,' Darc growled through gritted teeth, hands clenching into angry fists at his sides.

'Don't be ridiculous,' the former prince chided, 'We've been travelling for hours and my clothes are still full of sand from the desert. I'm exhausted and you must be too, let's just get back as quickly as we can and sort this out, that way we can both relax. Anyway, it would make more sense to head over to the refinery, that's the most likely place to find the equipment we'll need to remove the collar.'

'Hmm!' Darc grunted furiously, not wanting to admit the logic of his brother's argument.

'Come on,' Kharg sighed, taking hold of the leash still attached to the half-Drakyr's neck and giving it a gentle tug, 'let's just get this over with.'

Forcing back the dark waves of anger that rolled through his body, Darc relapsed into obstinate silence as his brother began to lead him in the direction of Yewbell.

*****

'Ok, let's make this quick, 'Kharg smiled reassuringly at his twin as he strode through the town gates, 'I'm sure Banjo and Mutch can work out a way to take this off.'

'They had better,' Darc hissed, his eyes straying in the direction of a group of townspeople who were beginning to throw curious glances their way. He had hoped that the fast approach of evening would mean the streets would be empty of the town's inhabitants but this appeared not to be the case.

As they made their way towards the refinery, the darker twin firmly clenched his jaw and willed the townspeople to keep their distance. However, they were just passing the Inn when the door swung open and Duncan stepped out in front of them, his eyes immediately falling on the former prince.

'Lord Kharg, so you're back at last!' The Defence Corps member called out in greeting, 'We were expecting you sooner, how was your journey?'

'Don't ask,' the lighter twin drew to a halt, seemingly unaware of his brother's increasing agitation.

As the two men continued to converse, some of the other inhabitants of Yewbell took the opportunity to draw closer. Whereas Duncan did not even seem to have registered Darc's presence, the half-Drakyr was certain the other humans' attention was focused solely on him.

'Um...Lord Kharg?' a woman spoke up at length, taking advantage of a gap in the conversation.

'Yes?' the former prince turned towards her, smiling.

'Have you decided to keep that deimos chained up now?' She said, motioning towards the leash in his hand, 'You know that we respect your decision to keep it...um...him...around, but I have to admit that I'd feel a lot safer if you're planning to keep...him...tethered from now on.'

'Shut the hell up!' Darc snarled fiercely before turning to Kharg and wrenching the leash out of his hand, 'Let go of that! I've had enough! I'm going to make you regret treating me like this!'

'Calm down,' the lighter twin spoke sternly, glancing at the frightened-looking woman with concern, 'I'm sure she didn't mean any harm by it.'

'I will not calm down! Do you expect me to stand here and listen while these pathetic humans talk about me as though I'm an animal? We're going to the refinery, I want this thing off!'

As Kharg threw the townspeople an apologetic look, Darc turned sharply on his heel and stormed off in the direction of the refinery.

******

'Well? What are you going to do about it?' Darc demanded as Banjo and Mutch nervously examined the collar around his neck.

'Erm...' Banjo began shakily.

'What?' Darc snarled, ruby eyes narrowing at the hesitant tone in the man's voice.

'I'm...well I'm afraid we're not going to be able to cut it off, which would have been the fastest option. It's too close to your skin and we just wouldn't be able to do it without injuring you in the process.'

'Are you telling me you can't remove it?' the half-Drakyr's voice came out dangerously low.

'No, no! We can remove it...it's just that the only way we're gonna be able to do it is by making a new key.'

'So? Get the hell on with it then!' Darc growled.

'Erm...its umm...it's just that...because we don't have a copy of the original key it'll take us a few days to make a new one that'll actually work,'

'What...did you...just say?' the half-deimos forced out through gritted teeth.

'Come on, Darc. There's no point in taking this out on anyone else, Banjo and Mutch are doing their best to help you,' Kharg intoned patiently.

'You can shut up! This is all your fault!'

'I don't know how you came to that conclusion,' the blond said lightly, 'if you hadn't attacked me we wouldn't have lost the key. Now, stop shouting and let's just get home, I'm starving. I'm sure Banjo and Mutch want to get home too.'

'Fine,' Darc scowled furiously at his brother as the former prince wrapped the end of the leash around his hand.

Hunching his shoulders angrily, the darker male followed his twin as he led him out of the building. Darkness had fallen whilst they had been inside and Darc was pleased to find that the streets of Yewbell had emptied; at the very least he wouldn't have to face the curious stares he had been subjected to on entering the town.

However, they had just reached Kharg's house when a familiar voice called out from behind them, causing both twins to come to a halt.

'Hey, you two!' Maru yelled over cheerfully, running to catch up with them.

'Tell him to go away,' Darc hissed angrily, throwing his brother a pointed look.

'Don't be rude,' Kharg dismissed him before turning to the quickly approaching figure of the boy, 'hey, Maru.'

'You two were gone a while. I was beginning to...' the boy stopped mid-sentence, his eyes suddenly falling on the leash in Kharg's hand before travelling it's length to Darc's neck, 'what's that?'

'Nothing, now go away!' the half-deimos growled.

'It's a game, right? Hey, can I have a go? Let me hold the leash! Come here, Darc,' Maru ignored the darker twin's angry tone and held out his hand expectantly.

'What the hell's wrong with you? It's not a game and I'm not something for you to play with!' Darc spat, eyes blazing, 'now get away from me!'

'Sorry Maru,' Kharg said, smiling, 'he's just in a bad mood today. Maybe you can have a go tomorrow.'

'He's always in a bad mood,' Maru shrugged before a mischievous grin spread across his face, 'how about you just give me the leash anyway?'

'Well...I guess I could do that,' Kharg replied, gesturing for the boy to take the chain.

'Give me that!' Darc snapped, ripping the leash out of his brother's hand, 'were neither of you listening to me? This is _not_ a game! Touch this again and I swear I'll tear you apart!'

Without another word, the darker male turned away from them and stormed into the house, slamming the door so fiercely that it shook on its hinges as Kharg and Maru stared after him.

*****

'Come on Darc, you can't just mope around here for the next few days, you're gonna have to come out some time,' the former prince called through the thick wooden door of what used to be his bedroom.

The half-Drakyr had locked himself inside the room upon entering the house the previous evening and was now refusing to come out.

'I thought I told you to leave me alone,' he growled in response.

'Fine,' the lighter twin sighed wearily before moving away.

Darc glared angrily at the door as the sound of Kharg's retreating footsteps resounded through the house. He had every intention of remaining where he was until Mutch and Banjo manufactured the key; there was no way he was going to subject himself to any further humiliation by allowing the people of Yewbell to stare at him in his current state.

A fresh wave of anger rolled through his body as he fingered the collar at his throat. The fury he felt towards his twin for the way he had behaved towards him over the past few days was only increasing and he decided there and then that there was no way he would allow him to get away with it. Once the object of his abasement was removed he had every intention of keeping it; he was sure there would come a time very soon when he would be able to make good use of it.


	3. Role Reversal

I'm not 100% sure what I think of this one...I found it more difficult to write because I prefer to have stuff happen to Darc (because he's my favorite....odd I know) but all the same, I've done it ^_^ for Chaos who I know enjoys a little Kharg mistreatment and for Elfwench who requested it. Just drop me a review or private message if you want a fourth installment...I may write it anyway but I'm not sure yet, seeing as it took me so long to get this one done!!

Warnings: mild violence

Disclaimer: none of the characters belong to me, I make no profit from this.

* * *

'Are you sure this is the right way?' Kharg questioned, not for the first time, as his brother continued to lead them through the forest.

'I thought I told you not to ask me that again!' Darc growled, his voice clearly coloured with irritation.

The former prince let out a heavy, exasperated sigh; he was beginning to wish he had decided against accompanying his brother on this particular expedition. His darker counterpart had insisted that it was only a short trek through Sabnak Forest to reach Orcoth, but he estimated that they had been walking for the best part of three hours now. They appeared to be following no clear path, his brother seeming to repeatedly veer off in random directions through thick undergrowth and densely-packed vegetation. The heavy, humid heat had begun to go to his head and had caused his clothes to stick uncomfortably to his body. To make matters worse, Darc had grown increasingly tense and distracted throughout the journey, leaving Kharg with an unshakable sense of foreboding.

He had made the decision to join his brother on this trip to Aldrow two days before, when Darc had demanded the use of Big Owl. The darker male had stated that he wanted to return to Orcoth in order to check up on how Delma was managing things in his absence, his last visit to Drakyrnia having lead to an extended stay in Yewbell. Kharg had been reluctant to agree, concerned over his twin's abysmal lack of knowledge when faced with human technology and the possibility that, even if Darc _did_ somehow manage to safely land the airship on Aldrow, he may then decide not to bring it back. When confronted with these objections, his twin had suggested that Kharg come with him. At the time, the blond had thought this to be a reasonable solution and had agreed but now, feeling hot, irritable and beginning to suspect that Darc had managed to get them lost, he was sincerely wishing he had chosen to stay behind.

Just as he was about to question again whether his brother was sure they had taken the correct route, the darker male came to a sudden halt.

'What is it?' Kharg asked, drawing level with his twin.

'Look, just a little way ahead, that's Orcoth,' Darc pointed with his clawed hand.

'Great,' the blond let out a sigh of relief, sweeping his sweat-dampened hair out of his eyes in order to get a better look at the somewhat ramshackle settlement just visible in the distance, 'let's get going then.'

The lighter twin began to stride forward with renewed vigour, eager to leave the damp clinging heat of the forest behind him. However, he had gone no more than a few steps when he felt something wrap tightly around his wrist and, before he could register what was happening, found himself being pulled forcefully back in the direction he had come from. White-hot stars of pain exploded in his head as he collided violently with the trunk of a near-by tree, the force of the crash wrenching his breath from his body. He managed to let out a strangled cry as his arm was pulled up sharply behind his back.

'Darc, what the hell are you doing?' the former prince chocked out through gritted teeth.

'Just shut up and keep still,' the darker male grunted from behind him.

Kharg felt something cool and metallic slide against the hot flesh of his neck and began to struggle against Darc's grasp. His brother gave his arm another sharp tug in response, eliciting a low moan of pain from the lighter twin.

'I told you not to move!' the half-Drakyr spat menacingly.

Deciding he'd be better off doing as he was instructed, Kharg remained still as Darc began to fumble with whatever was now encircling his throat. He heard a muted clicking sound before the darker male stepped away from him and, attempting to fight back the waves of dizziness caused by his collision with the tree, the former prince slowly turned to face him. Kharg found his brother smirking darkly, the end of what appeared to be a length of chain clutched in his more human-looking hand.

As realisation hit him, Kharg clenched his jaw and took a deep, steadying breath in an attempt to cool his anger before addressing his brother.

'Darc, this is ridiculous. Just take it off,' Kharg intoned, fingering the collar that was now locked about his neck.

'I don't think so. It would be dangerous for you to enter Orcoth without it. Many of the Orcons have lost kin and comrades to you humans and if I let you wander around freely I wouldn't be able to guarantee your safety.'

'Come on, Darc, we both know that just isn't true. You're their leader, if you tell them to leave me alone they will. Besides, human-deimos relationships are strengthening all the time, if you take me in there like this the Orcons are gonna think it's ok to treat humans this way, it would be damaging to the work being done to bring our races together,' the blond persisted.

'You didn't think that was important when we were in Dilzweld, did you! Or is it just that you think it's acceptable to treat Deimos like this?' Darc snarled, crimson eyes flashing dangerously.

'You know I didn't mean it like that,' Kharg sighed, 'what happened in Dilzweld wasn't my idea, remember? Besides, that happened over a month ago, you're just being vindictive.'

'I'm doing this for your own good,' the darker male smirked, repeating the words his brother had used when the situation had been reversed.

'If it's really such a problem then I'll take Big Owl over to Cathena and check up on how the rebuilding of the city's going, I can come back for you in the morning.'

'You can try finding your way back through the forest if you want, but I don't like your chances,' Darc sneered.

Kharg thought back to the convoluted route his brother had taken them and the reason for this suddenly became clear. The half-Drakyr had obviously made it as complicated as possible so that he would be unable to remember the way. With a sigh of frustration, Kharg realised this was one situation he couldn't talk his way out of. He briefly contemplated tackling his twin in an attempt to retrieve the key to the collar, but remembering what had happened when Darc had tried that, he thought better of it.

'Fine,' the former prince spoke at length through firmly gritted teeth, 'If this is the only way you're going to let the Dilzweld incident go, then let's get on with it.'

'That's better. Just remember to shut the hell up and do as you're told while we're in Orcoth or this will end badly for you,' Darc smirked, giving the leash a fierce tug.

As Kharg allowed his brother to lead him in the direction of the settlement, he mentally kicked himself for not realising he was walking into a trap. The darker male was remarkably transparent when it came to what he was thinking and feeling and while the former prince had noted Darc's tense, distracted mood, he had mistakenly assumed it was because he had lead them on an incorrect route through the forest. Exhaling deeply, the former prince began to wish he had been more sympathetic when their situations had been reversed. There was no doubt in his mind that the half-deimos intended to make his stay in Orcoth as miserable as possible. However, Kharg was resolute that no matter what happened, he would not give his twin the satisfaction of knowing how uncomfortable he was with being treated like an animal; he would endure the situation with dignity.

*****

Word of their arrival spread quickly as Kharg followed his brother into Orcoth and it was not long before a group of the settlement's inhabitants began to move in their direction. Taking a deep breath, the former prince braced himself against whatever ordeal was to come.

'Welcome back, Darc!' one of the Orcons moved forward to greet their leader.

'Hmm,' the half-Drakyr grunted in response, 'where's Delma?'

'At the arena,' the Orcon replied before casting his eyes curiously in the lighter twin's direction, 'what's that you have with you?'

'This?' Darc shrugged, giving the leash a sharp tug that caused Kharg to stumble forward, 'it's nothing. Just something that belongs to me.'

'You own that human?' someone else spoke up.

'That's right,' the darker twin replied fiercely, 'it belongs to me, and that means you leave it alone. I don't want to find any of you attempting to damage my property, is that clear?'

'Huh, your property,' Kharg couldn't help smiling in amusement as a murmur of consent spread through the crowd.

Without warning, Darc whipped around and seized the blond's jaw firmly in his left hand, claws digging into the soft flesh of his brother's face as he tilted it towards him.

'What the hell did you just say to me?' The half-Drakyr spat, 'I don't recall giving you permission to talk! You don't speak unless you're spoken to, do you understand?'

'Yes!' Kharg hissed in reply, too surprised to argue.

'Good,' Darc growled before turning back to the crowd, 'Now, I have business to attend to and I don't expect to be disturbed.'

The group of Orcons slowly began to disperse as their leader turned away from them and headed in the direction of the arena.

'Was that really necessary?' Kharg questioned once they were alone, rubbing his face where his brother's claws had dug into him.

'Of course it was, they're hardly going to believe you're my property if I let you talk back to me,' the darker male threw his brother a sly smile.

'We both know it isn't necessary for them to believe it, your only motivation is revenge. Misguided revenge, at that,' the former prince sighed.

'I don't know where you got that idea from,' Darc grunted as he came to a stop in front of the arena, 'now, just sit here and be quiet until I get back.'

'Why can't I just come in with you?' Kharg asked, not feeling entirely comfortable with being left alone in a deimos settlement despite his earlier assertions that the Orcons wouldn't harm him.

'Because I have business to attend to that doesn't concern you, now shut up and do as you're told.'

'Fine,' Kharg rolled his eyes and sat down on the floor outside the arena's entrance.

Darc looped the leash through a sturdy metal ring embedded in the wall before removing a padlock from the pack he was carrying and securing the chain in place.

'Behave while I'm gone,' the half-deimos smirked before roughly tousling his brother's hair and disappearing inside the arena.

Sighing wearily, the lighter twin attempted to smooth his hair back into place and prepared himself to wait for Darc's return. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall behind him, feeling hot, tired and more than a little irritated with the stunt his twin had pulled.

He hadn't been sitting there long when the sound of voices and approaching footsteps caught his attention. Cracking one eye open, Kharg took in the small group of deimos that had begun to gather a short distance away from him.

'So Darc has a human slave now?' one of the Orcons questioned.

'Looks like it,' another replied.

'Well, I wish he hadn't bought it here. I'm prepared to accept that humans are no longer our enemies but that doesn't mean I want to associate with them. Just look at it, it's disgusting!'

Kharg clenched his jaw firmly and willed himself to remain silent. Although Darc was short-tempered and intransigent, he had also been forced to endure the kind of treatment his brother was now facing for most of his life and was therefore used to it. Kharg, on the other hand, had been bought up as royalty and was accustomed to being well-liked and respected. While the darker twin had been far from happy during their brief visit to Dilzweld he had, for the most part, been able to effectively assume the role of the former prince's property. Kharg, however, was finding it more difficult than he had expected.

'I agree,' another of the Orcons spoke up, 'now the place will reek of humans...it stinks!'

'First of all, I do _not_ stink,' Kharg retorted indignantly, unable to remain silent any longer, 'and secondly, hasn't anyone ever told you that it's rude to talk about someone as though they don't exist when they're sitting right in front of you?'

The group of Orcons fell silent for a moment before bursting into peals of raucous laughter.

'Listen to that, it thinks it has the right to tell us what we should and shouldn't do!' one of the males choked out in amusement.

'It seems Darc hasn't trained it very thoroughly yet, I'm sure he told it earlier not to speak unless it was spoken to.'

Cheeks flushed pink with humiliation, the former prince turned his face away from his tormentors and attempted to block out their insults as they continued to discuss him as though he wasn't there. He could tell it was going to be a very long day.

*****

It was several hours before Darc finally emerged from the arena, during which time Kharg had been subjected to a near constant stream of Orcons eager to examine and insult him. Despite the lighter twin's earlier resolve to remain calm and dignified throughout his ordeal his usual easy-going attitude was quickly giving way to flustered irritation.

'It's about time,' the former prince huffed, getting to his feet as his brother approached him.

'You shouldn't talk to your master like that,' an amused female voice sounded out from behind the half-Drakyr.

Kharg turned to take in the familiar form of the Orcon girl, her face split in a teasing grin that revealed her razor-sharp fangs.

'Delma,' Kharg greeted her.

'Hey, you're absolutely right,' the girl ignored him, directing her comments to Darc whilst taking a firm hold on the blond man's chin 'he does make a good pet. The collar really suits him.'

Kharg felt his face grow hot under the Orcon's taunting gaze and attempted to pull away from her.

'That isn't very friendly now, is it?' Delma teased, 'you really ought to teach him some manners, Darc.'

'Hmm,' Darc grunted, the hint of a smile twitching the corners of his lips, 'we need to get going. It's getting late.'

'You're taking him there now?' the Orcon girl questioned.

'Yeah, it's quite a walk and I still need to get back, remember.'

'Fine, but I get to hold the leash until you head out of Orcoth,' Delma grinned.

'Knock yourself out,' Darc replied, handing her the key to the padlock.

Shoulders slumped dejectedly, Kharg followed the Orcon girl as she took up the leash and began to lead him towards the entrance of the settlement. As they walked through the streets of Orcoth, Kharg was sure the inhabitants were watching him and no doubt making derogatory observations as he passed by. Thinking back to their visit to Dilzweld, Kharg felt a twinge of guilt for not acknowledging how degrading the experience must have been for Darc. If he hadn't been so annoyed with his brother at that moment, he would have apologised.

'Hey, Darc!' A voice called out to them just as they were about to mount the steps that would lead them to Orcoth's entrance.

'What?' Darc grunted, turning to face whoever had spoken as Delma and Kharg came to a standstill.

'Just thought you'd like to know, that human of yours was talking out of line earlier. It was trying to tell us what to do and actually had the audacity to call us rude!' one of the Orcons the blond had encountered earlier in the day replied, a look of dark amusement on his face.

'Is that so?' Darc questioned, ruby eyes narrowing in his brothers direction.

'That's right. Thought you might need to punish it or something.'

'I'll punish it, alright,' the Orcon leader replied before turning to his twin and smacking him hard across the back of the head, 'what did I tell you about talking?'

'...Only speak when I'm spoken to,' Kharg replied through gritted teeth, glaring at Delma as the girl burst into fits of laughter.

'That's right. You're going to regret not listening to me!' Darc growled as the Orcon male turned away from them with a satisfied grin.

'C'mon,' Delma barked, tugging fiercely on the leash as they continued on their way.

The three of them moved on until they came to the entrance. Coming to a stop, Delma gave a dissatisfied sigh before handing the leash over to Darc.

'You should bring him here more often,' she smirked, 'he looks pretty funny with that haughty expression still stuck on his face while your dragging him around on a leash.'

'Heh, maybe I will,' Darc replied, 'I'll see you back here before long.'

'You be good now,' Delma grinned, patting Kharg firmly on the head.

The former prince threw the girl a black look as Darc pulled him in the direction of Sabnak Forest. Whilst he couldn't deny that he was relieved to be leaving so soon and that his humiliating ordeal was almost at an end, Kharg was slightly puzzled as to why they weren't staying in Orcoth until the following morning. Night was fast approaching and he was worn out; even with the autopilot mechanism he wouldn't want to be flying at night with both of them sleeping, just in case something went wrong.

'Not that I mind, but why are we leaving now? Are we heading back to Big Owl?'

'Don't be ridiculous,' Darc replied, 'It's just not safe for you to stay in Orcoth during the night, someone might decide to kill you while we're sleeping. You'll be better off elsewhere.'

'So where _are_ we going?' the blond asked, confused.

'You'll see.'

Kharg eyed his brother suspiciously as they continued on through the forest. While it was clear the Orcons still held a deep dislike of humans, he was certain that if Darc ordered them not to kill him they wouldn't go against his word. He had no idea what his brother was planning but the sinking feeling in his chest informed him that he wasn't going to like it.

*****

They had been walking for some time before they came across a flight of rough-hewn steps partially obscured by sprawling undergrowth and the forest that surrounded them.

'This way,' Darc spoke over his shoulder before beginning his ascent.

Shrugging resignedly, Kharg allowed his brother to lead him upwards. The steps gradually gave out onto an outcropping of rock and, as the ramshackle, dilapidated building that had been erected there came into view, the darker male came to an abrupt halt.

'What are you doing?' the former prince questioned when some moments had passed and his brother gave no sign of moving.

'Nothing,' the half-deimos replied gruffly, 'let's go.'

As they passed through the entrance of the building, Kharg thought he saw a shudder run the length of his brother's spine and, glancing around at their surroundings, he couldn't say that he blamed him. The place was dark and dank, the air thick with the smell of decay.

'No-one will bother you out here,' the half-Drakyr spoke coolly, 'the Orcons keep their distance from this place.'

'I'm not surprised,' the blond intoned.

Moving further into the building, they descended a staircase that was slick with the odious moisture which seemed to drip from the walls.

'Darc, you can't seriously mean for us to stay here,' Kharg addressed his brother firmly as he looked around with an expression of undisguised distaste.

The room they had entered was even more ominous than the one they had passed through to reach it; rusted chains hung down from the ceiling, the air felt clammy and chill despite the heat of the forest outside and the only illumination came from the phosphorescent plants which grew in the damp corners, casting their eerie glow against the dripping stone walls.

'I'm not staying here,' Darc replied tensely as he began to loop the leash around one of the manacles attached to the wall, 'you are. I'm going back to Orcoth'

'Ok, that's enough!' Kharg snapped, a note of panic entering his voice, 'I've put up with this ridiculous plot of yours all day but this is going too far! You can't seriously expect me to sleep in a place like this, it's disgusting. Look around you! And is that...is that _blood_ on the walls?'

'It is,' the half-Drakyr replied, his shoulders stiffening as a restive expression slid across his face.

'We're leaving. Now. Unlock the chain immediately. I can't believe you actually expect me to stay here, it isn't fit for rats to sleep in!'

'If I managed it for eight years then I'm sure you can stay here for one night!' Darc suddenly rounded on his twin, eyes blazing, 'spoiled human weakling! I'll be back for you in the morning!'

Turning sharply on his heal, Darc marched furiously out of the dungeon, leaving his startled brother staring speechlessly after him.

******

'Sleep well?' the darker twin smirked as he entered the dungeon the following morning and took in Kharg's dishevelled appearance.

The blond was sure he looked as bad as he felt; he had spent a sleepless night in the dark and miserable place trying to block out the myriad of unidentifiable noises he could hear moving around him whilst disturbing thoughts of what exactly had taken place in the room filled his mind. He would have felt a lot more comfortable had he been armed.

While part of him wanted to question Darc on his angry disclosure the previous evening, Kharg found that he was still too furious over the way his brother had treated him to speak. He settled instead for throwing the darker male an uncharacteristically black look as he moved to unlock the leash.

'You can consider that your punishment for speaking without permission back in Orcoth,' the half-Drakyr tossed Kharg an amused grin as he pulled himself to his feet.

'Don't even try to pretend you weren't planning this all along,' the lighter twin glared fiercely at his brother, 'and I'd wipe that ridiculous smirk of your face if I were you, because I'm about two seconds away from wiping it off for you.'

'I wouldn't recommend talking to me like that, not while I still have you on a leash,' Darc replied, completely unfazed by the blond's show of aggression.

Although Kharg's fists clenched tightly at his sides, he managed to remain silent as the darker male wrapped the end of the leash around his hand and began to lead them out of the dungeon. He didn't want to spend a moment longer than necessary in the dilapidated dwelling; the cold, damp atmosphere seemed to have permeated his entire body to the extent that he actually missed the heat of the forest outside. He could wait until the collar was removed and they were as far away from the dungeon as possible before he took up his grievances with his brother.

The former prince remained quiescent throughout the greater part of their return journey through Sabnak Forest despite Darc's best efforts to goad him. However, as the darker male jerked harshly on the lead and Kharg found himself staggering, narrowly avoiding falling to his knees for the third time that day, the blond decided he'd had enough. Coming to a stop, he wrapped his hands around the chain of the leash and pulled it sharply towards him, tearing it out of his brother's grasp.

'Right, I've had enough,' Kharg spoke firmly, 'I get your point Darc, I probably should have been more sympathetic in Dilzweld. It's demeaning and humiliating to treat someone like this and I'm sorry, but it wasn't my fault, there was no other way they were gonna let you in. I've put up with your ludicrous behaviour ever since we got here and it's time for it to stop. I never would have left you somewhere like that awful place you took me last night and you know it. Now take this off and apologise.'

The darker male regarded him through narrowed eyes for several moments before he finally let out a disgruntled sigh and reached for the pack he was carrying.

'Fine,' he replied, holding up the key to the collar, 'take it.'

Relieved, Kharg moved forward to take the shining metallic object. Just as he extended his hand in order to remove the key from his brother's grasp, Darc released his hold on it. Both twins watched silently as it fell into the deep, black-watered pool the half-Drakyr had been standing beside before disappearing from view.

'Whoops,' Darc intoned with barely-concealed mirth, 'I guess this means you're stuck with it until we get back to Yewbell.'

Kharg groaned inwardly as images of the half-Drakyr parading him through the streets in front of his people and the whole of the Defence Corps flashed through his mind. Taking in the smug look that quickly spread across his brother's face, the blond felt a hot wave of anger surge through his body.

'Deimos bastard!' the former prince snarled and, springing forward, bought his fist crashing down into Darc's face.

The force of the blow sent the half-Drakyr staggering sideways and, feet skidding on the damp ground beneath him, he was unable to stop himself as he toppled into the brackish water he had dropped the key into just moments before. Kharg's brief flash of anger quickly gave way to amusement as his soaking wet twin reached for the muddy bank in an attempt to pull himself out of the stagnant pool.

'Enjoying your swim?' the blond grinned, moving to the edge of the water and looking down at his brother with his hands placed firmly on his hips.

'Shut the hell up!' Darc spat, clumps of wet hair falling into his eyes.

'Come on,' Kharg shook his head dismissively, taking a firm hold of his brother's arm and heaving the bedraggled-looking deimos out of the water.

'Let go of me!' the darker twin snarled angrily, pulling violently away from the former prince 'You'll pay for that! Just wait until we get back to Yewbell!'

Kharg sighed wearily as Darc seized the leash and began to drag him forcefully in the direction of Big Owl. Watching the filthy water drip from his brother's hair and the way his sodden skirt clung heavily to his legs, something told the lighter twin that his return to Yewbell was not something he was going to look forward to.


End file.
